BEST union to celebrate Khobragade’s transfer

The rift between former general manager of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking Uttam Khobragade and trade union leader Sharad Rao continues unabashed.

The rift between former general manager of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking Uttam Khobragade and trade union leader Sharad Rao continues unabashed.

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Following Khobragade’s transfer last week, Rao-led Municipal Mazdoor Union has decided to celebrate the officer’s relocation.

The union will organise ‘Vijayi Melava’ (victory conclave) at the Azad Maidan on Tuesday evening. Some 5,000 laddoos will be distributed to the employees.

In fact, celebrations have already started. The union distributed sweets at BEST bus depots across the city over the last weekend.

Unhappy over transfer, Khobragade did not join the new posting as principal secretary in the Tribal Development Department and threatened to quit.

He said he will join politics if his followers, who protested against the transfer on the city’s streets, wished so.

Khobragade and Rao have been at loggerheads for three years.

The officer had recruited bus drivers and conductors on daily wages when the union struck work in 2007.

Rao told Hindustan Times, “Industrial court has now cleared pay revision of (BEST) employees and Khobragade too has been transferred. Employees are very happy with this development.”

Khobragade didn’t spare Rao either. “Before I joined BEST, this man (Rao) would hold the city to ransom twice every year. He remained quiet in the last three years and there was no strike. But now I expect him to be more active and enforce strikes again.”